Railway-crossing gate



Jul 29. 1924.

S. N. HANKS RAILWAY CROSSING GATE 7 Filed Feb. 28, 1924 July 29 1924.

4 1,503,444 S. N. HANKS RAILWAY CROSSING GATE Filed Feb. 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H O Q; [I

Patented July 29, 1924',

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RAILWAY-CROSSiNG Gama.

Application filedFebruary 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,794.

ToEgzZZ whom it may concern:

Be itiknown that I. SILVIA N. -HANKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oliolona, in the county of Chickasaw and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railwa Crossing Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway gate crossing structures and it' consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed. r I

An object of the inventionis to provide a gate structure of the character stated andwhich includes counter balanced bars pivot allyfnounted at the intersection of a roadway witha railway track including trip mechanisms mounted at the side of a rail ofthe' track, the said; tripmechanisms adapted to be encountered by-the flanges of the wheels of the rolling stock which passes overthe-traek whereby. the active elements of the trip mechanisms are moved, there being provided connecting means between the said active elements of the trip mechanisms and the gate bars and which swing the said bars. The elements and features of the structure are so arranged and as sembled and cooperate with each'other whereby the gate bars are swung to lowered position as the rolling stock upon the track approaches the roadway and the gate bars are swung to elevated position after the rolling stock has passed transversely over the roadway and as it ismoving in a directio-n away from the crossing. In the accompanying drawings: w

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the crossing gate showing the gate bars thereof in elevated position} a Figure 2 is atop plan view of the crossinggate structure.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary de tailed sectional view of the gate structure 7 cut on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure-4 is a similar view out on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. i q

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the crossing-gate s'tructure showing the gate bar at a lowered or horizontal position.

i 1 illustrated in the accompanying drawingaja roadway is'indicatedat 1 and the said roadway transversely intersects a rail way track indicated at 2. Upright posts 3 are erected at the side edges of the roadway 1 and track 2 and in the vicinity of the angle of intersection. Gate bars are pivoted at the upper ends of the posts 3 for swinglng movement transversely of theroadway 1. The bars 4 are provided with weights 5 which serve to counterbalance the said bars upon their pivotal connections with the posts 3. Props 6 are loosely connected with the free end portions of the bars 4 and are adapted to encounter the surface of the roadway 1 when the bars are swung to horizontal position in a usual manner. Shafts 7 are journalled in bearings-8 which are positioned-beyond the side edges of the roadway 1 and the track 2 and the shafts? are disposed transverselyof the track 2 and under the bases of-the rails thereof; -The shafts 7 are provided; attheir ends with angularly disposed arms 9. Rods 10-are pivotally connected at their l'owerends with the upper ends of the arms 9 andthe intermediate portions of therods 10 pass through slots 11 provided in the bars 4 atpoints between the pivots of the bars and the weightst carried thereby. Coil springs 12 are interposed between the arms '9 and the bars 4 and the said springs are compressed when the bars 4'are elevated as shown in Figure 1. Consequently when the bars 4 begin to swing in a downward direction, the tension of the springs 12 comes into play and assists in swinging the weights-5 in an upward direction. The rods 10;are provided at their upper ends with eyes 13 which are larger than the clearance through the slots 11 and means are provided for pre-. venting the rods from moving-out of the slots and becomin'g disconnected from the bars and at the same time ample clearance space is provided to permit the intermediate portions of the rods to move freely and longitudinally through the slots. I

One of the shafts 7 is provided at a point between its ends with a downwardly disposed arm 14 and the other shaft 7 is provided at a point between its ends with an upwardly disposed arm 15.- A rod 16 ispi votally connected with-the outer ends of the shafts 14 and 15, consequently means are provided for simultaneously rotating the shafts toward each other and for simultaneously rotatingthem away from each other when they are actuated as-will =be' hereinafter explained. As the shafts 7 are 1. to the lowered position as" shown in Figure 5. When the shafts 7 are rotated away from each other, the gate bars 4 are swung from the lowered position as shown in Figure 5 to the elevated position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. A red 17 is pivotally connected with the shafts 7 in manner similar to that described in connection with the means for attaching the rods 16 with the shafts and the rods 16 and 1? cross each other at their intermediate portions as best indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

' A shaft 20 is journalled transversely under one of the rails of the track 2 and fingers 21 and 22 are pivotally mounted at points between their ends upon the shaft 20. The shaft 20 is provided at one end with a return bend portion 23 which isdisposed between the upper ends of the fingers 21 and 22 as best indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings. The shaft 20 is further provided with an angularly disposed arm portion 25 having a roller 24 journalled at its upper end, the said roller being disposed at the side i of the head of the track rail 2 with the upper portion of its periphery normally above the upper surface of the head of the said rail.

An arm 26 is mounted upon the shaft 7 which is located adjacent the shaft-20. A rod 27 is pivotally'connected at one end with the lower end of the finger'22 and pivotally connected at its other end to the lower end of the arm 26. A rod 28 is pivotally connected at one end with the lower end of the finger 23 and pivotally connected at its other end with the upper end of the arm 15 hereinbefore described. Therefore when the roller 24: is encountered by the tires of the wheels of the rolling stock which passes over the track 2. the arm 25 is swung and the shaft 20 is turned whereby the return bend portion 23 of the said shaft is moved between the upper ends of the fingers 21 and 22. When the return bend portion 23 strikes the upper end of the finger 22, the

said finger is turned upon the shaft 20 whereby the rod 27 is moved longitudinally and the shafts 7 are turned and the gate bars 4 are swung from the elevated positions shown in Figure lot the drawings to the lowered position as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. i

Inthe event that the rolling stock should be moving over the track rails in an opposite direction, the return bend portion 23 of the shaft 20 strikes the upper end of the finger 21 and the rod 28 is moved longitudinally wherebythe shafts 7 are turned and the gate bars 4 are swung from the lowered position as shown in Figure 5 to the elevated position as shown in Figure 1. At'a point spaced from the shaft 20, a shaft 29 is'journalledtransversely of the rail of the track 2." A- link 30 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 29 and the said shaft 29 is provided. at

one end with return bend portion 31 which is disposedtransversely across the intermediate part of the link 30. A. longitudinally extensible resilient element 32 connects the lower end of the link 30 with the lower end of the finger 21. A. traction spring 33 is connected at one end with the intermediate portion of the link 30 and at its opposite end is secured to a fixed point or object. The shaft 29 is provided with an angularly disposed end portion upon which a roller is journalled. The spring 33 hereinafter described holds the shaft and the arm 34 thereof so that the upper portion of the periphery of the roller 35 is normally disposed above the upper surface of the head of the adjacent rail of the track 2 as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

When a train is moving over the track 2 and is approaching the roadway- 1, the flanges of the wheels strike the roller 35 whereby the arm 34 is swung andthe shaft 29 is turned. The return bend portion 31 of the said shaft encounters the edge of the link 30 and the link is swung whereby the longitudinally extensible element 32 is moved longitudinally and the rod 28 is moved longitudinally whereby the shafts 7 are turned as hereinbefore described and the Springs 12 bear against the under surfaces of the gatebars 4; and swing the inner ends of the said bars down to the position as shown in Figure 5. Thus the gate bars are lowered across the roadway 1. Should the train be moving in an opposite direction over the track 2 and after the gate bars 4 have been lowered, the flanges of the wheels strike the roller 24 and the arm 25 is swung whereby the shaft 20 is turned and the return bend portion 23 of the said shaft will strike the upper portion of the finger 21 whereby the rod 28 is moved longitudinally and the shafts 7 are turned whereby the springs 12.

are permitted to expand longitudinally thus removing the supports from the weighted ends of the gate bars 4 and under the influence of the weights 4, the said bars 4 swing from the lowered position as shown in Figure 5 to the elevated position as shown in Figure 1. The shaft mechanism shown at 29 in Figure 1 of the drawings,

is a duplication of the shaft mechanism 29 hereinbefore described and is located in a similar manner at the side of the rail of the track 2 but beyond the opposite side edge of the roadway 1 from that edge'at which the shaft 29 is located.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A crossing gate structure comprising posts erected at the crossing, bars pivotally' mounted upon the posts and being weighted at one end, shafts journalled adjacent the posts, means for turning the shafts simultaneously, the bars having slots, rods connected with the shafts and passing through the slots, and springs interposed between the shafts and the bars.

2. A crossing gate comprising posts, bars pivoted upon the posts, shafts j ournalled adjacent the posts and operatively connected with the bars, means operatively connecting the shafts together, a shaft journalled adjacent one of the first mentioned shafts and having a return bend end portion, fingers pivoted upon the last mentioned shafts and operatively connected with the adjacent first mentioned shafts, said return bend portion being disposed between said fingers, the last mentioned shafts having an angularly disposed arm with a roller journalled thereon and which is disposed adjacent a track rail of the crossing.

8. A crossing gate comprising posts, rails pivoted thereon, shafts journalled adjacent the posts and operatively connected with the rails, means operatively connecting the shafts together, ashaft journalled adjacent one of the first mentioned shafts and having a return bend portion, fingers pivoted upon the last mentioned shafts, the return bent portion being disposed between the said fingers, means operatively connecting the fingers with the first mentioned, shafts, the last mentioned shafts having an arm portion provided with a roller which is located adjacent a rail of the track crossing, and a third shaft journalled at the track and carrying a roller disposed at the side thereof, a link pivoted upon the last mentioned shafts and operatively connected with the fingers, the last mentioned shaft having a return bend portion disposed transversely of said link.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SILVIA N. HANKS.- 

